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Paul, how do you feel about Harold Camping?

Well, there have been two sensible posts since my last email. First, “my buddy” Sean wrote: “No, no - it took us this long to get Humber over here. It is like a touch of home. I don't know about anyone else, but I am glad he's here.”

Thanks, Sean. I realize the word “buddy” may seem like something of a stretch, but in contrast to others, your post was welcome.

Rain also asked a legitimate question. He/she wrote: “Paul, how do you feel about Harold Camping?”

I have mixed feelings. I think he is wrong about divorce. There are two biblical reasons for divorce, but I think he holds the absolutist position of not allowing for any divorce. The Lord, however, said that adultery could be a legitimate reasons for divorce.

Camping also predicted the second coming and was wrong. He thinks the church age has passed. Since I am a pastor currently, I obviously disagree with him.

I suspect, however, that he will be in heaven—not because he is perfect, but because the Lord is perfect. You do not have to have every doctrine right to get into heaven. You need to be under the blood of Christ, and under His righteousness.

I corresponded with Camping perhaps 10 years ago. We were not on the same page then.

A silver scroll dating to the seventh century B.C. and containing the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name for God (YHWH), is pictured in Biblical Archaeology Review. This name, commonly transliterated Jehovah, designates the most important Person ever to walk this planet.

Each of us in his own way is special, but we are one among billions. But who is the most special? Who marks the dividing point of history? Who has impacted the arts more than anyone else? Who but the Lord Jesus Christ?

We think of Him perhaps as the greatest moral teacher of all time, but according to the Bible He is far more than a great moral teacher. Throughout its pages, Old and New Testaments alike, passage after passage affirms that He is God the Son, Jehovah God incarnate.

But what relevance does all this have for us? How does it relate to our own special quality? Why should we care who Jesus is?

There is an “s” word that makes many of us feel uncomfortable—sin. And there’s another “s” word that should make us glad—Savior. The Lord Jesus is the only Savior and wanted desperately to connect with us, the sinners. But how could a mere man save mankind? A mere man could not, but the Lord Jesus is also Jehovah God in human flesh.

This doctrine is not sufficiently understood by Christians. All should study this truth, not only to defend against error (1 Peter 3:15), but also for inward consolation. The Lord is greater than all our problems. His death on a cross was efficacious because of His divine majesty. No mere man could atone for the sins of the world.

A wealth of material throughout the entire span of Scripture is available to convince searchers (Acts 17:11) that Jesus is Jehovah God in human flesh. But there are many passages which affirm, directly or implicitly, that Jesus is Jehovah God. Yes, He is fully man, too, but lovers of God should “honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:23). The man Jesus obtained salvation for men because He was and is Creator Christ.

Maybe next time I’ll share a wonderful passage from the Old Testament.